Shower curtain



Nov. 3, 1942. GAlNEs 2,301,161

SHOWER CURTAIN Filed May 51, 1941 Nathaniel Games INVENTOR ATTORNEYPatented Nov. 3, 1942 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SHOWER CURTAINNathaniel Gaines, South Orange, N. J.

Application May 31, 1941, Serial No. 395,926

Claims.

This invention relates to curtains, and more particularly to showercurtains of water-repellent, water proof or other types of material foruse in bath rooms, both as a decorative feature and for preventingexcessive splashing of the shower water.

The universal practice in constructing shower curtains for use inconnecton with shower bath attachments to bath tubs or with showerstalls wherein a curtain is employed to close oil the shower hasheretofore been to insert a plurality of metal grommets along the upperedge or hem of the curtain, at spaced points. These grommets, beingmetal, detract from the artistic appearance of the curtain andfrequently they rust, causing unsightly rusty streaks on the curtain.They permit only of limited fixed points of suspension of the curtainfrom the pole or rod,

which in a number of installations causes improper arrangement of thefolds of the curtain, resulting in drooping and unsightly hanging of thecurtain.

An object of the present invention is to provide a shower curtain whichcompletely dispenses with the use of grommets, and of the various typesof unsatisfactory structures which have been devised in an endeavor tohide them, and provides an attractive, artistic, practical curtain,embodying means for attaching supporting hangers or hooks thereto, whichmeans also serves as a decorative feature of the curtain and providesfor an unlimited variation in the num her and placement of theconnections of the hangers to the curtain, permitting support of thecurtain at any of a number of points along its length so as to insure ofproper and artistic hanging of the curtain.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a shower curtainas specified which has a series of loops along its upper edge made froma semi-flexible cord, bent sinuously to provide alternately opposedloops, one set of which serves to connect the cord to the curtain, whilethe other set serves the dual purpose of decorating 'the upper edge ofthe curtain and of providing means of connection between the curtain andthe hangers. These loops being semi-flexible, embody sufiicient rigidityto maintain their upright or erect position at all times, and resiststretching due to the weight of the curtain, which is supported fromcertain of them, and thus eliminates sagging of parts of the curtain, aswell as sagging or hanging over of the loops which are not utilized inconnection with the hooks for hanging the curtain.

With these and other objects in view, as may appear from theaccompanying specification, the invention consists of various featuresof construction andcombination of parts, which will be first describedin connection with the accompanying drawing, showing a shower curtain ofthe preferred form embodying the invention, and the features forming theinvention will be specifically pointed out in the claims.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary view of a shower curtain constructed inaccordance with the present invention.

Figure 2 is an enlarged cross-section taken on the line 2-2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is an enlarged fragmentary longitudinal section taken on theline 3-4 of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary view of a modified form of the shower curtain.

Figure 5 is a cross-section taken on the line 55 of Figure 4.

Referring more particularly to the drawing, the combined decorative andsupporting edging or crown is attached along the upper edge of thecurtain body I. It comprises, as shown in Figures 1 to 3 of the drawing,a cord 2, which may be made of braided, twisted. or woven fabric, or inany of the approved methods by which fabric cords are .made. The cord 2is treated, coated or impregnated with a stiifening material which isnot soluble in water, so as to impart a stiffness or semi-flexibility tothe cord. Also, if it is desired, the cord 2 may be made of a drawn orextruded strip of any suitable plastic, or even of metal embodyingnonrusting properties and in the form of a wire, without departing fromthe spirit of the present invention.

The cord 2 is arranged or bent sinuously throughout its length, toprovide alternate loops 3 and 4, which extend in opposite directions,with the loops 3 projecting above the upper edge of the curtain body I,and the loops 4 overlapping the upper edge of the curtain body I andproviding for attachment of the cord to the curtain body.

A binder strip 5 is positioned outwardly of the side of the cord 2,facing away from the curtain body I, and is stitched to the curtain bodyand the cord 2, to securely attach the cord and the binder strip to thecurtain body and cover the loops 4 of the cord so as to provide anartistic appearance of the upper edge of the curtain. The loops 3provide an artistic and attractive edging for the top of the curtainbody I, and also provide means for connecting suitable hangers (notshown) to the curtain for suspending it from a rod or pole (not shown).-

By making the cord of semi-flexible or semirigid construction, the loops3 will maintain their erect position at all times, whether they are usedas the connecting loops to which the hooks are attached or not. It is tobe understood, of course, that the hooks or hangers are to be attachedto only pertain of the loops, and not to all of them.

If it is so desired, for the purpose of facilitating the assembly of thecurtain structure, a webbing or binder tape may be folded over the loops4, as clearly shown in Figure 2 of the drawing, and stitched thereto,prior to the attachment of the loops to the curtain top. Thus, the cord2 will be maintained in its looped position and arrangement and may bemore easily and readily stitched to the curtain top and binder strip 4.

In Figures 4 and 5 of the drawing a modified form of the invention isshown. In this construction, the upper edge of the curtain body- H1 isfolded over upon itself, as shown at l I, to provide a pocket extendinglongitudinally along the top of the curtain body. This pocket I2 opensalong the upper edge of the curtain body so as to permit the inverseloops M of the cord IE to be inserted into the pocket forattachment tothe curtain body by stitching. The upstanding loops N5 of the cordproject beyond the upper edge of the curtain body and provide adecorative top edging for the curtain, and also means for connectinghooks or hangers to the curtain for suspending it from a rod (notshown).

If it is so desired, the cord I5 may be stitched to a binder tape l1prior to its insertion into the pocket l2, so as to maintain the cord inits sinuous loop-forming position and facilitate the stitching of thecord to the curtain body.

Also, if it is so desired, a strip of suitable stifiening material, asindicated at I8, may be inserted into the pocket l2, and the two sidesof the pocket [2, the strip of stiffening material I18, the binder stripI! and the cord l5 may all be stitched together by the same lines ofstitching, as indicated at 19.

Of course, it is to be understood that the binding strip I! may beeliminated, without departing from the spirit of the present invention,and also that the stiffening strip l8 may be eliminated, and that eitherof these strips H or H] may be employed without the other, withoutdeparting from the spirit of the present invention.

While in the drawing and in the foregoing de-.

scription the decorative supporting edging is shown at the top edge ofthe curtain, it is to be understood that it may be placed below, oradjacent to the top edge of the curtain without departing from thespirit of the present invention.

It will be understood that the invention is not to be limited to thespecific construction or arrangement of parts shown, but that they maybe widely modified within the invention defined by the claims.

What is claimed is:

1. The combination with a curtain, of a decorative supporting edgingalong the top edge of the curtain comprising a carrying strip, a semirigid cord bent in a sinuous manner to form a series of open loops andattached to said carrying strip in such manner as to provide aseries ofclosed loops projecting beyond one edge of the carrying strip, the upperportion of the curtain being folded over upon itself to form a pocketextending along the top edge of the curtain, said carrying strip beinginserted into said pocket and stitched to the curtain.

2. The combination with a curtain, of a decorative supporting edgingalong the top edge of the curtain comprising a carrying strip, asemirigid cord bent in a sinuous manner to form a series of open loopsand attached to said carrying strip in such manner as to provide aseries of closed loops projecting beyond one edge of the carrying strip,said cord being of sufficient rigidity and stiifness to maintain theloops in straight unbending position at all times, the upper edge ofsaid curtain being flush with the upper edge of said carrying strip andcovering one side of the carrying strip, and a binder strip covering theother side of the carrying strip and stitched to the carrying strip andcurtain.

3. The combination with a curtain, of a decorative supporting top edgefor the curtain comprising a cord bent in a sinuous manner to form aseries of opposed loops, the upper portion of the curtain being foldedto form a pocket extending along the top edge of the curtain, said cordbeing inserted into said pocket with alternate loops projecting out ofthe pocket and above the top edge of the curtain, and the other loopsopposed to the alternate loops projecting above the curtain edge beinginserted into the pocket and stitched to the curtain.

4. The combination with a curtain, of a decorative supporting top edgefor the curtain comprising a cord bent in a sinuous manner to form aseries of opposed loops, the upper portion of the curtain being foldedto form a pocket extending along the top edge of the curtain, said cordbeing inserted into said pocket with alternate loops projecting out ofthe pocket and above the top edge of the curtain, and the other loopsopposed tothe alternate loops projecting above the curtain edge beinginserted into the pocket and stitched to the curtain, said cord beingmade of fabric treated with a plastic composition to render itsemi-rigid with suiiicient body stiffness to maintain the loops inupright unbending position at all times.

5. The combination with a curtain, of a decorative supporting edgingalong the top edge of the curtain comprising a, carrying strip, a cordbent in a sinuous manner to form a series of opposed loops and attachedto said carrying strip in such manner as to provide a series of closedloops projecting beyond one edge of the carrying strip, said carryingstrip being stitched to the top of the curtain with said loopsprojecting beyond the top edge of the curtain.

NATHANIEL GAINES.

